Passions Choice
by Kaspier
Summary: Behind the heat of his touch, burned a dangerous secret past that they both shared, yet didn't know it.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: Behind the heat of his touch, burned a dangerous secret past…**

**Passions Choice.**

**Prologue**

Kagome dropped the empty pail and ran as fast as her trembling legs would carry her, her long braids of midnight hair swung from one shoulder to the other, while fear mounted in her chest and spurred her booted feet forward. Early morning sun had not yet warmed the chilly air, and dampness nipped at her flushed cheeks. Her tattered wool coat lost its last button when she stumbled and fell, hitting the earth with a jolting force that left her breathless. With a slight groan she lifted herself and was on the run again, faster.

As she neared the small cave where she had spent the night, she started screaming, "Papa! Papa! Come quickly, Papa!"

When she saw her father crawling out of the small cave's opening, she let her tears held inside tumble from her eyes. She fell into his warm, protective arms. At last, she was safe; safe from the memory of the past and from the man who was down the stream. Her cheek rubbed against a cold button on his waistcoat, and her hands slid around his thick waist.

"Dear, dear child! What has happened? Heavens, you were screaming as if some devil were after you."

Kagome squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her face deeper into the scratchy wool of her father's coat and wept.

Kane Higurashi tried to dislodge his young daughter, but she clung to him desperately. Had she been a bit stronger she would have squeezed the breath from his lungs. When she wouldn't budge, he realized he was going to have to let her cry for a few moments, so he soothed her with comforting words.

"There, now, Kagome. See? You're safe. Nothing is going to hurt you." He held her close with one arm and brushed a loose strand of hair away from her face with the other.

When the sobs subsided he gently eased her arms from around his waist and lifted her chin. He smiled. The tears had cleaned the dirt from her face, and what a lovely face it was. So like her mother's with a little rose bud mouth, straight nose, and eyes and blue as the early spring river. He brushed his thumb across her clean cheek, smudging it with residue that clung to his hands from gathering wood for the fire.

"Now tell me what frightened you."

Kagome hiccupped, and her teeth chattered. "There's – a man down by the stream. He-has-blood all over his shirt just like Mama- when she was shot." The memory of her mother lying on the ground with an Englishman's bullet in her chest flashed across her mind.

Kane drew his daughter to him again. This time he was the one afraid to let go. While he held still and listened for any sound of approaching danger, his eyes scanned the wooded area for intruders. A gust of wind made the leaves rustle, but nothing appeared out of place. The pale blue sky was tranquil. There wasn't even the chirp or whistle of a morning bird to be heard.

He had been foolish to send Kagome for water alone while he started the fire. She was fourteen, and she seemed so capable, so reliable, but he should have known better. He wasn't familiar with this area of Vermont at all, and in the last town, he heard that youkia soldiers were hiding in the hills. Was there safety anywhere on this earth? He had taken Kagome away from the fighting in Japan only to subject her to more of the same in America? A cold shiver shook him when he thought of what could have happened to his beloved daughter.

He had to take action. Kane took hold of Kagome's shoulders and lightly pushed her away from him. "Listen child, I have to go down and see this man for myself. He may be alive, and is he is, he needs our help."

"I-don't think so papa. He was still and white." She hiccupped again. Her clear blue eyes sparkled from the wash of tears.

"Even so, I must go."

"No papa! Please!" She held onto the worn sleeve of his brown coat with a tightly clenched fist.

"You have got to be strong Kagome." He said, giving her a little shake. "Now listen carefully. I want you to go back into the cave and warm yourself. If I don't come back within the hour, you head for the town we were in two days ago. It's about six miles in that direction," he said pointing south. "When you get there, go directly to the sheriff's office and tell them what happened. Do _not_ come after me. Do you understand? Do not go back to the stream."

"Yes Papa"

"Good." He pulled the lapel of her coat closed and looked for a button to keep it shut but when he found none he let it fall and patted her cheek affectionately "Don't worry about me, I'll be careful. Now go-off into the cave with you."

Kagome was shaking again when she stopped to enter the cave. Thick smoke stung her eyes, and filled her lungs. She was exhausted and ashamed that she had broken down when she had been trying so hard to be mature and helpful. It was warm near the fire, but fear kept her cold. Facing the opening of the cave, she moved closer to the small fire, taking what little comfort it offered. Light from the low-burning flames cast shivering, distorted shadows on the hard walls of stone, and she fought back the terror that turned them into imaginary beings.

She had made a promise to her father that she knew she wouldn't keep. He was her only family she had. If he did not come back she would go looking for him. How could she leave this place without knowing what happened to him??

With a trembling hand, she made the sign of the cross. "Oh, Kami" she murmured, beginning with their own safety.

As the fire burned low, a depressing settled over her. Time passed so slowly as she waited, listening for sounds from outside. Finally, she could endure her vigil no longer; she had to find out what was happening.

As she crawled towards the opening, the shuffling sound of a horse picking its way carefully over the stone-covered ground reached her ears. Fearfully, Kagome edged backwards as the sound came closer. It couldn't be her father coming, He had no horse. Fear as thick as the smoke enveloped her; and when she saw her father's face loom in the doorway of the cave and peer anxiously inside, she went limp with relief.

"Kagome, up quickly!" Kane's voice was excited, and he pulled her arm with unintentional roughness.

"We have to leave as fast as we can."

"Why? Is someone after you?" she asked in a high pitched voice. "And what do you have in your hand?"

Kane leaned close to the dying embers of the fire to capture what little light it afforded and said, "Look!" he opened the leather pouch he carried so she could see inside, It was filled with gold coins and paper money. Her blue eyes rounded in shock.

"Whose is it?"

"For now, it's ours." He closed the pouched quickly, and then stuffed a crinkled piece of paper into his jacket. "The man was dead, Kagome. When I checked to see if he had anything to identify him, this was all I found. We must leave here now. Whoever shot that man may still be after him." With his booted foot, Kane shovelled dirt and rock over what was left of the fire, then knelt in front of his daughter, He held her upper arms firmly, his round puffy eyes staring into hers.

"This money is a gift from the heavens we can use to restore what the English took from us. I found that man's horse, and we're going to get on it and ride away from here. When I feel it's safe, we'll stop and make plans. I don't guess it would hurt to use some of the money for new clothes and decent food, but enough for now. We must hurry!"

Three days later, Kagome grasped her father's hand tightly as they walked into a bank. They were several towns beyond the one nearest the dead man. The money her father had found was carefully hidden between wads of cotton in the pockets of Kagome's new petticoat. She had spent most of the night cutting and sewing so that all the coins and most of the paper money would fit. In his pocket, Kane carried two 50 dollar notes he planned to change into smaller bills for the train ride to Boston.

He had used some of the paper money in the pouch to rent a room in an old boarding house in town. While Kagome was bathing, he had gone out and bought some decent but ill-fitting clothes. There would be time for proper fitting clothing once they were out of Vermont.

For Kagome he had bought a green and white plaid dress that was now covered by a plain wool coat. He had put together and undistinguished brown outfit for himself. He did not want to present a figure people would notice and remember.

"Ah-we have arrived at the perfect time," Kane whispered to Kagome. "Only a few people are in line. Now remember, Kagome, don't say anything. I'll get change, and we will be on our way to Boston and a new life."

"Are we going to keep all the money Papa?"

"Indeed we are. I told you it was a gift from the heavens. We must use it wisely and prove ourselves worthy of its blessing."

"We don't have much time before the train." she said looking at the clock around that corner.

"We have more time than we need. Now let's get in line, and don't worry. Just look calm, as if we walk in and out of banks every day."

Kagome moved behind her father as he stepped up to the cashier's counter. No telltale jingling came from the coins snuggled deep in the folds of her clothing. She had done a good job of arranging them. And her father could rely on her. She would guard the money with her life.

Suddenly the door burst open and the bank teller was cruelly pushed to the floor by a man in a handkerchief over his face. Kagome's eyes were now widened in fear.

Two other men rushed in behind him and pointed their guns at the others behind the counter. Two more men burst in, one kicking the door shut.

"This is a hold up! Don't anyone move!"

A hold up? Kagome's eyes darted back to the door to see who had spoken. They were going to rob the bank. They had guns! Were these men going to kill her just as her mother had been killed that day in the park? _No!_ Her mind screamed. Kane pushed her firmly against the wall and stood in front of her, hiding her with his bulk. She closed her eyes tightly. If they dared shoot her, she would rather not see the blood stain her dress.

"Everyone keep quiet and stay still. No one will be hurt. We only want the money."

Kane had successfully blocked Kagome's view from what was going on by pinning her against the wall, then covering her with his arms. Determined to know what was happening, she squeezed and twisted against her father's pressing weight until she managed to turn her face and see the room from beneath his arm.

The bank patron, who had stood in front of her just moments before, now stood on the other side of the room with the woman who had been pushed to the floor. Two of the robbers had jumped over the counter and were pointing their pistols at the cashier, demanding he open the vault. Another blocked the door; one held his gun on a woman, while the fifth man pointed his gun at Kagome and her father. She watched him closely. The red handkerchief that covered his mouth fanned in and out with each breath, and his eyes kept blinking.

"Don't let them know you have the money, even if they ask for it." She heard her father whisper.

Kagome's eyes darted back to the man at the door. His dusty gray hat was pushed low over his eyes, but she knew he was watching her. Was there something about her skirts that looked suspicious to him? If that man guessed she had the money, there would be no safety for her or her father.

The two robbers were out of the vault now with their grain sacks bulging. They shoved the cashier and another man who was behind the counter into the vault before slamming it shut. Kagome's eyes froze. One of the men had started towards her and her father. The kerchief tied around his head covered everything but his squinting violet eyes. Those narrowed, dangerous slits were all she was clearly. She smelled stale sweat, horse, and tobacco when he stopped in front of them.

"Believe me sir, I have nothing to contribute to your cause." Her father protested.

With the back of the hand that held the gun, the man hit Kane squarely across the face. Kane grunted, and Kagome bit her bottom lip to hold in a scream. She had to stay quiet for her father's sake.

"You wouldn't be in a back if you didn't have money." He yelled into Kane's face. He struggled with his pockets and brought out the two 50 dollar bills he was going to change. "Here." He shoved the money at the man. "This is all we have."

Suddenly the robber grabbed the front of Kane's shirt and pointed the gun under his chin. Kagome's breath caught in her chest. She was too frightened to scream. Any moment now she feared she would see blood sprayed all over her father's shirt. She squeezed her eyes shut again, trying hard to dispel the image of her mother's white shirt covered in blood.

"Be brave. Be strong." Her father's words came back to reassure her. No! She wouldn't let this smelly man kill her father. The money would have to be surrendered.

"Now you don't expect me to believe that, do you? Not with that gold chain sticking out from under your coat." The man pushed the gun and Kane's head tilted back further.

"No sir, I beg you to let it be. It's a locket with a picture of my dear wife."

"Sure, and its gold." The robber said, mocking Kane's accent.

A cold shiver engulfed Kagome. All thought of the money vanished from her mind as she realized the man might take her mother's locket. Never! It was all she had left of her mother except memories, and those were fading.

The man's dirty fingers reached and jerked the chain from inside of Kane's coat. When she seen the chain slip Kagome squirmed from behind her father and grabbed hold of the locket.

"What do we have here?" the man chuckled menacingly.

Kagome's fearful eyes met his with all the defiance she could muster. Yes, she would fight him for the locket.

"Give it to him, Kagome" Kane said, taking hold of her wrist.

"No, Papa. It belonged to Mama. I won't give it to him." Kagome was surprise at how strong her voice sounded. She didn't take her eyes off of the man, and her father didn't take his hand off her wrist.

"Let her have it!" someone yelled, and she recognized the voice of the man who had stood by the door way and issued orders.

The robber turned his head and glanced at the man who'd spoken. When he looked back at Kagome, his eyes were gleaming with anger "You little-"

"Leave her alone, and let's get the hell out of here while the streets are still clear."

Although Kagome's eyes were glued on the man who threatened her, she heard a shuffle of feet running and knew the other robbers were leaving the bank. She didn't know what to do. If she pulled the chain hard enough, it would break- and he held the half with locket. The only picture of her mother that she possessed was tucked safely inside.

The man's eyes glittered as she roamed over her face. "I can't let you keep the locket, Honey." With a swift jerk the chain tore through the tender flesh of her hand.

"No!" she screamed once before her father's hand covered her mouth and held her against him firmly.

Seconds later she heard shots in the street and angry voices shouting orders. For now she was safe, folded in the protective arms of her father. The money was safe too, but she lost something far more valuable than the gold coins in her petticoat.

Kane bent towards his daughter and whispered, "It's more important than ever that we be on that train to Boston. We don't want anyone asking us to many questions. Come; let's go while everyone is still excited."

As they passed the man and the woman, Kagome heard his excited voice. "Did you see the marks on them? Did you see their clothes? They must be the same band of youkia soldiers who have been robbing banks all over."

**End Chapter…**

**Thanks you. For reading. I hope you get to enjoy. The Next chapter Sesshomaru makes his entrance… sorry if it was a bit short. It will be longer… I am looking to make this one around twenty chapters.**

**Akada.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter One.

"Where is Kaede?" Kane Higurashi asked as his daughter walked onto the bank lobby. "I can't believe she let you out of her sight."

"I fired her." Kagome's deep blue eyes shone.

"What? You fired Kaede?" Kane dropped the papers he was holding. "What kind of nonsense…?"

A smile started at the edges of Kagome's lips, moved up into her eyes, and ended in a soft, lilting laugh. "Of course not. I was only teasing you, I am almost nineteen now. Perfectly capable of walking from the milliner's to your bank without Kaede. You told me this place was very safe. Besides, I don't think chaperons are needed after a girl turns eighteen."

Kagome straightened the ribbons of her dark brown hat. The late February wind had almost taken it right off her head.

"That's Kaede's job, and will be until you marry." Kane reminded her.

"I know papa. She is a very nice lady, I am sorry I teased you."

Kane smiled and picked up the scattered papers that now lay on his desk in front of him. "So," he asked, "did you have a question for me, or did you come just to escape Kaede for a few moments?"

"Simply to get away from Kaede for a moment." She answered honestly.

There were times when she longed for the freedom she had when she had first come to America. It hadn't been an easy life. They had no money, and her father couldn't find steady work because of the war; but during that year she had learned to take care of herself and now found it difficult to rely on others. Everything had changed when her father found that bag of money. He'd enrolled her in a boarding school in Boston and come south to make his fortune in banking.

"Papa, do you remember—" Kagome began her campaign for greater freedom, then stopped when a tall, handsome man stepped into the bank. For a moment he stood assessing the room, alert to everything. Kagome's heart beat quickened. There was something vaguely familiar about the way he stared at her face through slitted eyes.

When he approached the, however, she saw that he was a stranger. The skin of her cheeks colour when his gold eyes brushed across her face and down the velvet fabric of her dress. The steel stays in her corset and hoop seemed to be weighing her down so that she could hardly move. Not until his gaze shifted to Kane did she turn her back on him and join her father behind the counter.

"May I help you?" Kane asked.

"I am looking for Kane Higurashi."

"Well sir, you've found him. What can I do for you?"

"I want to talk about a loan."

Kane rubbed at his nose before asking, "And who might you be?"

"Sesshomaru Tashio."

A gasp escaped Kagome's lips. Both Kane and Sesshomaru turned to quickly look at her. With a gloved hand, she pulled a small handkerchief from the sleeve of her dress and patted daintily at her mouth. Sesshomaru Tashio was the owner of the Maison de la Lumière. And according to gossip, at least twenty women wanted to marry him. No wonder she had been so attracted to him. Apparently he had the same effect on other women. She turned slightly so she could see him again. He was clean shaven, with a straight nose and a well-defined mouth, just as handsome as the women in the embroidery circle had described him. His suit was expensive, she noticed and fit him well. The sunlight filtering through the window briefly reflected the lustre of thick silvery hair brushed neatly into a pony-tale at the back of his head. Was that color normal hair for a demon? She wasn't sure, but it was obvious, even under layers of freshly pressed clothes, that his body was in good physical condition. She hid a smile behind her handkerchief. How had she missed seeing this man before?

Trying to cloak her interest in him by picking up some papers, Kagome edged closer to her father so she could hear what they were saying.

``Ah –Yes. I have heard about Maison de la Lumière. One of the oldest and biggest plantations around.`

Kagome listened to her father while she watched Sesshomaru`s deep eyes. What was it one of the ladies in her sewing circle had said about Maison de la Lumière? "It's one on the grandest houses ever built, but the young owner is in danger of losing it."

Sesshomaru's eyes drifted to Kagome and caught her stare. Unconsciously he mouth parted slightly as she inhaled. The color in her cheeks heightened.

"That is my daughter you are staring at. Her name is Kagome."

"I'm sorry for staring. You have every reason to be protective. She's lovely."

Kagome's heart raced at his complement, she he wouldn't let him see that. Outwardly she merely acknowledged his words with a quick nod of her head. His eyes lingered on her face for a moment before he turned his attention back to her father.

"That she is," Kane said approvingly, expanding his chest. "Let's go into my office where we can talk in private. Kagome, dear, will you watch the front until Mr. Myoga returns?"

Kagome looked away from Sesshomaru. "Of course, if anyone comes in I will call you."

"Thank you dear." Kane patted her arm affectionately as he passed her. "This way Tashio, sir."

Sesshomaru followed Kane Higurashi into the small office and closed the heavy wooden door behind him. A chilling wind from the half-open window had overpowered the warmth emanating from the fire in the wood stove. As Kane lowered the sash, Sesshomaru studied him carefully. For a few moments when he's first come in, he thought he'd recognized Kane as someone he had met before, but no name had come to mind, so he dismissed the feeling.

"Don't stand my man. Have a seat, please." Kane pointed to one of the rosewood chairs while he settled himself behind a large mahogany desk.

"Well now, Mr. Tashio, you say you are in need of a loan. Why don't you tell me what you have in mind?" Kane picked up a pen and dipped it into a small jar of ink.

Sesshomaru suspected Kane had already heard he'd been turned down by every bank in the city and some outside of it, because he wouldn't put a mortgage on Maison de la Lumière. It was logical that if he had heard about Kane, than Kane had heard about him.

Sesshomaru needed a loan if he were going to make the plantation prosperous again. Without it, he would be forced to turn his inheritance to tenant farming or sharecropping as most of the other plantation owners had already done.

From several different people, he had been told to only go to Kane if all other alternatives had been exhausted. He had the money, but interest was high and he never gave extensions. He had foreclosed on more than one home, including the one he presently occupied on Peachtree Street. The only good thing anyone had said about him was that he didn't try to alter the figures. No one had caught him cheating or trying to charge more than was due.

Asking a human for a loan was the last thing Sesshomaru wanted to do. At first he had tried explaining everything to the youkia in all the banks he had approached in the last few weeks. More than half a dozen had listened to him, nodded in all the right places, and then said no. Well, he was tired of explaining. He needed money, and that was all anyone needed to know.

Sesshomaru spoke bluntly. "I want to borrow ten thousand dollars, and I want three years to pay it back."

Kane stared at him for a moment, and then laughed. "I am a cleaver man, Mr. Tashio; do not mistake me for a fool."

I'll make it worth your wait. I'll give you double the money I've borrowed by the end of the third year."

Kane sighed with an apparent lack of interest. "I'm not concerned about the three years down the road, Mr. Tashio. I don't even know what is going to happen a year from now. No, all my loans for six months take it or leave it."

Sesshomaru moved to the edge of his seat. "I can't pay you back in six months. I need time to plant, harvest, and replant. I need time to rebuild the mill and make it productive." He paused. Kane was his last shot. If he didn't strike a deal with this man, he would have to mortgage his Maison de la Lumière. What could he offer that would make Kane reconsider?

"I'll triple your return, Mr. Tashio. In three years I'll pay you thirty thousand dollars." Sesshomaru knew the risk if Kane took the offer. But at this point his options were running out.

That kind of money sounded enticing to Kane, but he didn't want to wait three years to get it. He could get far more from the plantation in Sesshomaru defaulted on the loan. And in only six months, too. In fact he knew of a man in New York who was looking for a big place like the Tashio plantation. It was time to be firm and stop playing around.

"Let me tell you what I'll do Mr. Tashio." Kane laid the pen down and pushed back his chair. "I'll give you three thousand at twenty-five percent for six months."

"That's not enough, and I need longer to pay it back. I need at least a year to build the Maison de la Lumière back up again."

"I'm sorry. That's the best I can do."

Sesshomaru rose from his chair. "Then I'll have to go elsewhere."

"Where else is there to go?"

Kane's words stung. He was right, but Sesshomaru wasn't ready to admit that.

"We have already agreed we're not fools, who why act like one?" Kane's eyes glistened. "My dear sir, I am not a planter, but even I know that next month is planting season. Your harvest will be in by late summer. That's six months from now. That's when I would have to be paid."

Sesshomaru felt every one of his twenty-eight years. "If I agreed to your terms, I'd have to borrow from you again next spring and the next. I can't do that under your terms."

"Of course I can't force you to take my money," Kane stood. "Are you sure you won't change your mind?"

Sesshomaru studied the man. Higurashi wanted his land just like every other bank did. But it wasn't planting season yet. He still had a few weeks. "Thanks for your time," was his only answer.

With a tug at his shirt collar, Sesshomaru opened the door of the office and walked. Anxiously, he mulled over his situation again. The taxes were paid on the land, and right now he had enough money to put food on the table for his mother and sister. But where was he going to get the money for seed or wages for workers? And if he couldn't get corn or cotton in the ground by March, there wouldn't be money for next year.

Sesshomaru glanced at Kane's daughter as he walked by. What had he said her name was – Kagome? An unusual name, but it suited her. She was busy talking to a man—who was no doubt pouring money in to Kane's bulging bank.

When he reached the door, Sesshomaru turned around to look at Kagome once more and found her staring at him. Their eyes met; he felt his blood stir and warmth rush up his neck. Damn, she looked good to him, but it was futile to be attracted to her. No youkia with any pride left would look twice at a human woman. Still she was so lovely. Her eyes were a blue as a late summer sky, and her skin looked soft as goose down. A brown hat covered most of her hair, but he was enough to know it had a touch of blue. Embarrassed that she had caught him staring, Sesshomaru nodded and walked out.

From the doorway of his office, Kane watched the prolonged glances between Kagome and the plantation owner. He then looked at the man Kagome was talking to, and a plan started forming in his mind.

"So you see, my sweet Kagome, all we have to do is treat everyone equal and we have freedom for everyone," Kouga Hill declared.

Kagome looked into the man's dull brown eyes. He wasn't more than a few inches taller than she. He didn't over power her as her father did. Until today she had thought Kouga was the handsomest man she'd ever seen, but that was before she had met Sesshomaru Tashio. She no knew why the ladies made such a fuss over him. It was surprising that none of them had staked a claim on him by now.

"Do you agree?" Kouga asked.

"To what?" Kagome responded, "Oh, yes…" she recalled him pronouncement with difficulty, "That's a very noble attitude, I'm sure."

Kagome had met Kouga a few months earlier when her father had invited him to dinner. Kouga wanted Kane to contribute to his campaign for the next election. As far as Kagome knew, Kane had not given any money to Kouga's cause, but he had succeeded in establishing a relationship between Kouga and his daughter, which Kagome assumed was her father's primary reason for inviting the man to dinner in the first place.

Kouga's thin lips widened into a smile. "Ah—my sweet, you do know how to make a man feel understood." He reached out and took her hand. "I am told that I would have a much better chance at winning if I were a married man."

Kagome wasn't surprised to hear Kouga mention marriage. He had kissed her good night a few times, and gentlemen didn't usually kiss a woman they weren't planning on marrying. Somehow the idea didn't excite her very much.

Kouga came from a good family, which was something her father would insist upon for any man she chose. He was nice, intelligent, and eligible, yet she didn't tingle all over at the idea of being his wife.

"Have you ever thought about getting married Kagome?" Kouga's voice was soft, and his hand squeezed hers possessively. He looked into her eyes while he waited for an answer.

"Well, yes, the possibility has crossed my mind."

She supposed that if she was going to marry it should be someone like Kouga. Unless she could meet someone who made her feel warm and desirable, who could make her feel special even if she was the only woman in the room. Someone who had looked at her like Sesshomaru Tashio had.

"Good." Kouga smiled. "May I take you and your father to dinner at the Mayflower Hotel tomorrow night so we can discuss the matter?"

"I have a better idea, why don't you come over to our house for dinner. We have a new cook, and I am sure that you would love her peach cobbler."

"That's a splendid idea, what time should I come over?" his eye's danced with excitement.

"Seven o'clock will be fine."

"I can hardly wait." He carried her hand to his lips and kissed it.

From the door way in his office he had been watching, catching a word every now and then, Kane cleared his throat loudly.

Kagome saw disapproval written across her father's face and withdrew her hand. "I think Papa wants to speak with me. I'll see you tomorrow night."

Kouga said his goodbyes to her father and left.

"Fancy your meeting Kouga in here," Kane said when Kouga had closed the door. His tone held a mild accusation.

Kagome lifted her chin and said, "Papa, our meeting was purely accidental. He was walking by and happened to look in the window and see me."

"And hastened to take advantage of you being alone."

The light that crept into her father's eyes let her know he wasn't really angry. "Correct." She laughed and hugged him briefly, her arms barley reached around him. "Oh Papa why are we bound by so many rules? Now that I am out of that stuffy boarding school, can't I have a little more freedom?"

Kane shrugged as he walked over to the front door and lifted his wool coat from the brass-tipped clothes rack. "Only as much as society considers proper."

How true. And how boring! Kagome pushed her lace handkerchief back into her sleeve with a sigh. "You needn't worry about my being alone with Kouga. He's a good man, Papa, and he has some good ideas about humans and youkia. He wants all of us to live in peace. He wants to stamp out intolerance, and economic inefficiency, and violence and replace it with respect and freedom for everyone."

Kane patted his daughter's cheek affectionately "There is nothing so inspiring as a politicians ramblings. You're beginning to sound a lot like him."

"That's because what he says is worth quoting, Papa, and you know it." She declared with a hint of defiance.

"Listen, Kags. I'll talk with you about Kouga late. Right now I've got to run out for a few minutes. There's an errand I must attend to immediately, and that fool Myoga still hasn't returned from lunch. I'm not happy with the liberties that man takes. I'll have to have a word with him. Would you stay until he returns?"

Kagome's eyes flashed to her father's round face. He was going to leave her alone in the bank. She was immediately fuzzy with fear. "I don't think you should leave me here by myself."

"Certainly you can handle it, Kagome. You know, you sound as if you are afraid."

She was. Nothing frightened her more than the thought of being alone in the bank. In the first year they were in America, Kagome found herself confidant and un-daunted in many places that would raise fear in the breast of more fear-hearted women, but being in the bank alone summoned up the fear she had felt when the man with the handkerchiefs over their faces had threatened her with guns.

I'm not afraid Papa," She lied. "I just wouldn't know what to do if anyone came in. Besides, Kate is expecting me to join her at the milliner's."

Her father chuckled. "If you don't join Kate right on time, I am sure she'll come looking for you. If anyone comes in, ask him to come in and wait for Myoga to return. If he doesn't soon, he will be fired. Though how to replace him I don't know. I've yet to find a competent man in this town." Kane took out his pocket watch and looked at the time. "I'll see you at dinner." He called back to her as he walked out the door.

Sesshomaru stood at the far end of the bar and stared at the amber liquid in the shot glass. He had downed the first drink too quickly. His throat and eyes still burned from the eighty-proof whiskey. One thing could be said about O'Brian: He didn't water down his good stuff. Sesshomaru leaned heavily on the bar, it had been months since he'd had a strong drink, and it had gone straight to his head.

What was he going to do? Kane Higurashi was his last chance of getting money from a bank without having to put up a mortgage. Now he had three options: take Kane's offer, do as the rest of the plantation owners had and go into tenant farming, or marry Kikyo Calibri.

Kikyo was a young widow who owned Merrywood, a plantation fifteen miles south of the Maison de la Lumière. She had made it quite clear to Sesshomaru the last time they'd met that she needed a man to take care of her land. What Kikyo didn't know was that if Sesshomaru married her, he intended to sell her land and use the money to rebuild the Maison de la Lumière. Right now that idea seemed mighty tempting, but nothing about Kikyo appealed to him. Her eyes and hair were the same shade of dull, lifeless brown, and her lips and cheeks never had any color to the. And although she wasn't exactly fat, there was a little more of her than he wanted.

Sesshomaru stared at his reflection in the dulled mirror above the bar and remembered Kagome Higurashi. She must be the most beautiful creature put on this earth. Those blue eyes of hers sparkled like no others he had seen. Everything about her was beautiful. She moved with a grace he found very appealing. Thinking of her made him feel warm, and he wiped at his forehead with a stiff white cuff.

He took a deep breath and emptied the shot glass. This time it didn't burn. Why couldn't Kikyo look like Kagome? Why couldn't Kikyo make him feel like Kagome did? It wasn't right, what he felt for a human woman, but his body didn't care.

Sesshomaru grimaced as the bartender poured another shot of whiskey into his glass. He had to get Kagome off his mind and find away to solve his problem. A thought that he had suppressed a long time came suddenly to the surface. He knew dame well where he could get the money. A cold sweat chilled him as he recalled with distaste the last job he had pulled with the demon rough riders.

In the beginning there had been seven of them, the youkia's best, and hand-picked to slip behind enemy lines and bring back money for the youkia. Sesshomaru was told that he had been chosen because he was the best shot in youkia history; A lot of good that did him. He had never killed a man the whole time he was with the gang, and he sure wasn't proud of the ones he did.

After the group had robbed three banks, two of the men were given the money they had stolen and sent it back. Sesshomaru never heard if they made it back to where they were to drop off the money.

The remaining five robbed two more banks before they were chased into the hills by a band of human soldiers. After a day of hard riding, when it was clear they couldn't shake the humans, they decided to bury the money and split up into five different directions. Sesshomaru was the one selected to draw the map so they would be able to find the money at a later date. The map was torn in two sections and each was given to the two ranking officers. As far as Sesshomaru knew, no one had gone back for the money.

Sesshomaru rubbed his chin. He a pretty good memory, and since he was the one who had drawn the map, there was a good chance he could find the gold. There must have been over fifty-thousand dollars in those bags. Now that most of the youkia had been wiped out, he was sure as hell not going to give the money back to the humans. Why not use it to restore his Maison de la Lumière.?

Sesshomaru finished off the last of the whiskey, and the bartender was right there to fill it again. This time Sesshomaru covered the glass with his hand. If he drank any more, he'd have to spend the night at Kagura's place, and Kagura didn't like it for men to spend the night if he wasn't going to spend a little money on one of her girls. Sesshomaru sure wasn't in the mood for a woman tonight. Unless her name was Kagome Higurashi.

He pushed away from the bar, stood straight, and stretched his arms over his head. It seemed he couldn't even hold a little liquor without feeling the effects. During the war he could hold down five or six before his head felt fuzzy. But he'd drunk a lot more often then. He had to in order to survive. Damn, what a stupid was to settle differences, going to war and leaving scores of dead mean and youkia scattered across burned out fields!

He was glad that the war was over and he could return to his life before it. From infancy he had been taught to be tolerable and hospitable. How quickly war had made him forget those things.

"Let me buy you a drink my man."

At the sound of a man's voice, Sesshomaru glanced into the hazy mirror and saw Kane Higurashi. Sesshomaru turned slowly and looked into his round blue eyes. The two men were equal height, but Kane's frame was thicker, fuller. Sesshomaru would just as soon tangle with a beat than with this man.

"No, I've had enough."

Kane motioned for the bartender to fill it anyway and when Sesshomaru gave him a questioning look, Kane said, "I think you are gonna need it when you hear what I have to say."

End of Chapter One.

I know that Sesshomaru is OOC but it IS my story and I can have him how ever I want. Hahaha, you don't like it go write your own.

Sincerely,

Akada


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Two.

Sesshomaru shifted uncomfortably. He was interested, but it wouldn't do good to let Kane know that he had been hoping for a second chance. Maybe now Kane was ready to make a deal. This was more like the man he had heard about.

"What have you got to say that will make me pick up that drink?" Sesshomaru kept his eyes hard and his hands steady on the bar so he wouldn't give away his relief at Kane's approach.

"I want you to marry my daughter."

"What the hell?" Sesshomaru's amber eyes darkened, and his brows crinkled together. What kind of man said a thing like that?

"Maybe you'll have that drink now." Kane motioned to the shot glass.

Maybe not. Sesshomaru's head was already fuzzy enough. This man wanted to talk serious business, and he needed all his concentration.

The bar was getting crowded as the end of workday drew more people to the saloon and when Kane was pushed by a man who had lost all of his teeth, Sesshomaru took him by the arm. "Let's go over to that table for a bit of privacy." He nodded in the direction of an empty card table in the far corner of the room.

Squinting, Sesshomaru studied the man standing before him. The lamps had been turned up all the way as dusk was arriving, so he had no difficulty seeing Kane now. He had the same blue eyes like Kagome, but they weren't clear and innocent like hers. Sesshomaru didn't know what Kane was up to, but he had sure piqued his interest. It wasn't everyday a man walked up to you and told you he wanted you to marry his daughter; especially one as good looking as Kagome. She must have had at least a dozen marriage proposals by now.

Leaving the whisky where it was, Sesshomaru followed Kane to the small table. When they were seated, Kane began immediately.

"I'll try to be as brief as possible. Details would only could the issue anyway. I have something you want- money, and you have something I want- a respectable name for my daughter."

That said a lot, but not enough. "Isn't Higurashi a respectable name?" Sesshomaru wanted to make sure that he wasn't misreading the older man.

Kane smiled, and the young man. "In some places, yet, that it not my concern. It's the name she might take in marriage that has me worried." He downed his drink in one gulp, and then continued. "You see, Mr. Tashio, except for the few pleasures I afford myself from time to time," he paused to clear his throat—"I live only to see my daughter happy. There have been times in the past when she's had to… Well, if I go into that, I'm getting into details I wish to avoid."

"How is marrying me going to make your daughter happy?"

Sesshomaru leaned back, keeping only the two back legs of the chair on the floor. He faced a dingy wall with peeling paint. A poster depicting a carnival that had come to town last fall still hung on the wall above his left shoulder.

"In the long run you will have more to offer her. Right now, I have reason to believe that she fancies herself in love with a man who rode into town last year with nothing more to recommend him than a string of fancy words. On the other hand, I don't particularly want her to marry a man like you either."

Sesshomaru's eye brows shot up, but Kane apologized gracefully with a wave of his hand and continued. "I only meant to imply that a father will never think any man is good enough for his only daughter." He slipped his drink, and then wiped his mouth with a large white handkerchief.

"So, what you are saying is that I am the lesser of two evils," Sesshomaru commented dryly.

"That is an unpleasant, and not totally accurate way to put it, I know very little about the family of this other man aside from what he tells me, but your family has been in this area many years. Your name is well respected among the people of Atlanta. I've no doubt that with your integrity and the land holdings of …… to back you, you'll find a way to restore your wealth. You can give Kagome a name, and a home she can be proud of. I'm afraid the only thing the other man can give her is unkept promises and social reform. If I had wanted that for my daughter I would have stayed in Japan."

"Who is the other man?"

"Kouga Hill."

Yes, Sesshomaru had heard of the man. Although he didn't know him personally, he still did not like him. Hill was a young man who has a problem for deception when it comes to women. Sesshomaru could never figure out why the man would talk about politics of women whom he tried to get into bed with. Certainly that would never work. The thought of Hill marrying Kagome had himself wanting to show Kouga where his place was.

Kane placed both hands on the table and leaned closer to Sesshomaru. "What I want to offer is the money you asked for in exchange for you courting my daughter with intention to marry her."

His voice was a whisper but Sesshomaru heard every word. It seemed odd to get such an offer just when he had been thinking about marrying someone else in order to get his hands on some money and he had decided he was too much of a gentleman for that. Well, maybe this was different. Kagome was certainly desirable. And her father was obviously sanctioning this liaison. Yet, it still didn't change the fact that Kane was trying to sell his daughters hand in marriage.

"What makes you this I can change her mind if she is in love with someone else?" Sesshomaru questioned.

"I don't know if you can, but to me it's worth a few thousand for you to try. Neither of us can force Kagome to marry against her will. She's much too determined for that."

Sesshomaru rocked the chair back on to its front legs. "Let me get this straight. You'll lend me the money I need for …… if I court Kagome? Whether we marry or not?"

"No." Kane shook his head. "I'll give you the money."

"Wouldn't that be taking a big chance? What would stop me from taking the money and never seeing Kagome again?"

Kane smiled knowingly. "A noble man like you? I don't think I have to worry."

Sesshomaru was beginning to have a certain respect for this man. "If I am so noble, then why would I even consider your offer?"

"Because you want to protect your home; And I saw the way you looked at Kagome. Don't make a decision right now. Come to dinner tomorrow evening. Spend some time with Kagome, and then decide whether or not you're interested."

Sesshomaru rubbed his chaffed neck. His mother had used too much starch on his collar. It was wrong that his mother, so gently reared, must be doing her own ironing. He needed that money for himself as well as her. "Have you made this offer to anyone else?"

"Indeed I have not!" Kane said righteously. "I've only this day been made aware that Kagome might have an interest in Kouga Hill. Do you think I would put a proposition like this to others? I thought this through clearly before I approached you." He pointed a warning finger at Sesshomaru. "And should Kagome ever get wind of this, she'll never speak to either one of us again."

Sesshomaru considered his offer. He did want to see Kagome again. "I'll come to dinner, but I am not making any promises."

"Excellent. Now why don't we have a drink." Kane motioned to the bartender.

"You go ahead. I have a long ride ahead of me." Sesshomaru pushed his chair back and stood, holding out his hand.

Kane took it and smiled. "Until tomorrow at seven then."

**I know this is short, but I had to make it this way till the next chapter. Next shall be dinner.**

**See ya!**

**Akada.**


End file.
